Pianoforte-hammer.



No. 654,9I4. Patented .luly 3|; |900.

C. M. MCUUILKIN.

PIANOFUBTE HAMMER.

(Appum'm med rob. 19, 1900;)

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,914, dated July 31,1900. Application filed February' I9, 1900. Serial No. 5 ,684. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, CHARLES MERRY Mc- QUILKIN, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Denison, via Heyfield, Gippsland, inthe Colony of Victoria, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pianoforte-Hammers, of which the following is aspecification.

In pianoforte-hammers commonly in use the felt-covered end which strikesthe wires to produce the note becomes hardened and dead, and the tone ofthe note is thus rendered defective. I provide at the end of the hammera resilient cushion of peculiar construction in which this objection isobviated.

In describing the invention I will make reference to the accompanyingsheet ofdrawings, in'which- Figure l shows a side view of a hammer towhich my invention has been applied; Fig. 2, a plan of same; Fig. 3, alongitudinal vertical section of same. Fig. I shows an end View ofhammer with felt removed, yand Fig. 5 a corresponding side sectionalview. In these views, Figs. 4 and 5, an eXtra strip, to be hereinafterdescribed, is shown. Y

a represents the rigid arm or head ofanpianoforte, in the end of which Iform a recess b, and in such recess I set a ball c of rubber. This ballis preferably of the form of a hollow sphere, spheroid, or the like andis set in the recess to a depth of about one-third the diameter of theball and glued or solutioned into position. A strip of rubber CZ passesaround the said ball and has its ends secured to the top and bottomfaces of the' hammer, and upon the said band are mounted strips of felte f, secured to the top and bottom faces of the hammer. The felting ispreferably of increased thickness at end of hammer, and for this purposeit may be specially built up by means of insertion-strips. Thecushioning material ef may correspond with and be secured in the mannercommonlyknown' and in use at the present time upon pianofortehammers.The employment of the elastic ball will maintain thecushion in a livecondition. l 1

The band 'd aforesaid, which holds the ball in position, is preferablyformed offrubber upon a base of textile fabric, the fabric side beingplaced next to the wood of the hammer and receiving'the glue or solutionby which it is affixed in position. The band is, how- In thus seever,not solutioned to the ball.

curing the ball in its recess and also in se- A curing the feltin g tothe rubber band a guttapercha cement may be used instead of glue.

If desired, an extra cross-band g, Figs. 4t and 5, might be employed topass over the ball and be secured to the sides of a hammer. In this caseno recess for the ball would be required; but this in practice would notbe employed if the recess were employed and formed sufficiently deep tohold the ball in place.

In applying my invention to a pianoforte the sizes of the spheres or thelike would vary upon the different hammers. Thus the ham- 'mer at theextreme bass end of the piano ion ef.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to bev performed, I declarethat what I claim is 1. A pianoforte-hammer having an elastic hollowball seated on the rigid portion of the hammer, and bearing against theinner side of the cushioning material of the hammer.

2. A pianoforte-hammer having a recess at one end in which is placed ahollow elastic ball said ball being held in position by an elastic stripsolutioned to the wood of hammer but not to the ball, and havingcoverings of felt orlike material substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

3. A pianoforte-hammer having a hollow elastic ball placed at one endand held in position by elastic strips as d and g-solutioned tohammer-and having coverings of felt or like material substantially asand for the purposes described. l y

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. Y Y

CHARLES MERRY MCQUILKIN.

Witnesses:

A. HARKER, A. O. SACHSE.'

IOO

